Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Mission Ladakh Zanskar Siachen 2007 - Day 04

Sarchu – Nakee La – Lachulung La – Pang – Taglang La – Upshi – Karu – Leh
Rams get to work as the Sun rises!
Sunrise at 0530


Our day started at 4.30 AM – when the alarm went off. I think most of us were already awake (except Hari). It was unanimously decided that we would give most of our daily chores amiss :-) For the first time, I felt my nose was blocked due to all the dirt filled dried/frozen mucus and I immediately asked for Hot Water, with which I melted the mucus in next 20 minutes, cleared my throat through gargles – had a cup of Hot Tea and was ready for the trip ahead. Before anybody could realize, we countered Gata Loops (A series of 21 loops on single slope which would take you upwards by around 1500 ft). All along the sharp pin bends, all of us decided, childishly, to count in our own respective native languages. Farhan chose Hindi so I chose Sanskrit.


Abandoned Truck at Lachulung La
Road under Rock before Pang

Maggi Thukpa at Pang

Pang - World's Highest Military Station
It must have been not later than 5.30 when we left Sarchu because even after climbing 2 formidable passes – Nakee La and Lachulung La; we reached Pang well before 9 AM for breakfast. “Julay”, the lady greeted and her daughters offered us Hot Water. We drank gladly and others ordered for Maggi/Omelette. I didn’t feel any appetite and the lady there could understand it, yet I ordered Maggi hoping that its fumes would induce hunger. Luckily, I was successful and ate the Maggi Thukpa. During our meal, our Driver Namgail told us that one of the tyres was punctured and needed attention. As we finished our meals, a Foreign tourist came inside for breakfast and all the females in the tent started shooing him away. He could explain us in broken English that he was being subjected to biased treatment. As told later by females, he supposedly had misbehaved with them in the night after getting drunk. We couldn’t have helped it and so, we marched ahead after making the payments. We tried to get the puncture repaired at a mechanic shop beside the road but in vain.

More Plains
I don’t know what all of us were thinking at that time – because all of us were busy on our own when suddenly we took the left bend and the pleasant surprise came – More Plains – we all went crazy almost immediately at the stark beauty of the place. Just imagine – Vast Expanse of Flatlands and horizon seems like 200 km away - at the height of 16000 feet – Can the beauty be explained? :-) But to our horror, Namgail went on a speeding spree, leading the car into the middle of the plains while the road went on a side. One hand, the Speedometer needle touched 100 and on the other, our butts and necks were already crying due to the shocks coming from the exhausted Shockers of the vehicle.

Yaks having their breakfast!

Looking back at the Long Way we've come - at 120 kmph!
Its snowing at Taglang La! and We can barely smile in that cold!
Soon, we saw a herd of Yaks for the first time and Namgail told us that this is the place where the “road” from Tso Kar meets More Plains. And then we started ascending to the final and one of the most formidable passes of the World. A group of Surds in an Innova had told us that the Taglang La was closed due to snowfall but since our driver is Ladakhi, he would be able to take us through. As we were getting close to the Pass, the amount of snow increased gradually and the wind was getting colder; eventually turning into snow. I was so delighted – I cannot explain – to experience snowfall at 12 noon on June 19 at a place that is in Northern Hemisphere (and so close to Equator). At the Taglang La Top, all of us found difficult to breathe – and nobody could gather the courage to click all of the important points. I think, all of us had lost some thinking power also because when I wrote “Ankit was here” in the snow; Hari exclaimed to me “Don’t be selfish, Ankit” and wrote all others’ names also. I am still trying to understand the reason behind that :-) I visited the temple there, which had all the Gods of all the religions and castes that I could recall and when we started descending, we could find lot of local women (might have been hired by BRO) to clear the snow on road.
Hari and Farhan lend their hand in clearing snow - while Bikiran watches on! I try too!
Soon, the snow was left behind and the wind was growing hotter. Again, the terrain changed and when the milestone told me “Upshi 3”, I intuitively asked Namgail whether Indus is behind “that” cliff. He looked at me with astonishment and asked me “You have come here before?” I smiled and said – “No, It’s logical. Indus is supposed to join us at Upshi and I can make out that there is a valley behind that cliff.”

View of Shey Gompa from the Highway
We stopped at Upshi for lunch – and now there was no Roti. We had to order authentic Tibetan Thukpas, which I found too bland :-( but nevertheless, I ate whatever I could and then we proceeded. As Karu came and I saw the first PCO in 30 hours, I expressed my desire to make some calls – Home and most importantly, our Agent in Leh. We stopped but the call could not connect. Finally, it was in Leh at Riffat General Store, where the call could connect and Javed, our agent, explained the way to Namgail. It took us 30 min to reach Javed’s office because of the traffic jam and further 20 minutes to reach Lasu Guest House (our friend’s house).

What a clean house and a variety of Cookies and Dry fruits satisfying our appetite. I asked Javed to arrange for the cab tomorrow for Zanskar. Meanwhile he would arrange for our permits. He took leave of us, promising us the details of the Cab in the evening. I was too tired (and sad because of the 12.5k deal from Manali to Leh) and wanted to lie down when Hari asked me to explain the entire plan. I felt very frustrated that even after sending so many detailed mails with Itineraries and the Map – he didn’t care to read any of that but I later thought even I would have been least interested in reading mails. I explained everything to Hari and answered all the counter-questions but when Hari suggested that we should go to local J&K Tourism Office to verify/confirm these details – I went crazy inside (“Every bit of my information is first-hand and better than any Tourism office – The only better sources than this can be Truck Drivers”) and murmured – “I am very tired, if you want to go – please!” I knew that after this kind of travel, nobody has the power to roam in Leh at this altitude and look for J&K Tourism Office and as it stands, nobody did go!
And here lies Leh - from Shanti Stupa!
We took BATH and stepped outside for a trek to Shanti Stupa. It was on the top of the hill just beside our house in Yurtung. Although I felt a little apprehended by the climb, Farhan motivated all of us and soon, we were at the top. Wind was chilling but the view of Leh town was fantastic. I was surprised to see that the Stupa, unlike any temple, did not have any room inside to worship. It was just a sculpture like thing built amidst nowhere.

Atop Shanti Stupa
The next task was to proceed to the market for shopping, calls to home and emptying the cameras. The God must have been very happy from our behavior that as soon as I climbed the last of the steps of the Stupa, we met one of our friends there. She introduced us to her mother and invited for a cup of tea. We soon found ourselves inside Karzu Palace which is locally called Alpha Mess – her father being at a very senior post in the Indian Army. As I looked at the watch, I realized it was little late to go to market and then to our house so we transferred the pictures there only. All of them were very impressed by our Itinerary – the map and all the other details – which were, well, arranged by me. We were about to leave when her father arrived and enquired us about our deal for transportation. He talked about a deal which he uses and offered us to use that. We took some time off and said “We would get back soon”. What followed was an intense study of all the distances – resulting in our unanimous decision that we would go ahead with Uncle’s deal. However, my concern was how to refuse Javed for his services. We thought it might be a problem – but what is to be done – is to be done. We tried calling Uncle but his phone was unreachable (It is very difficult to reach BSNL Cell phones in Leh from PCOs which are not BSNL). Ultimately, we decided to go back to Alpha Mess and tell him personally. By this time, my physical state had worsened. Again, I was under Whopping Cough and could only help it with Hot Water.
It was past 9 by now and when we started back for the house, it was absolutely dark and silent. A little scary, I must confess, because we were not sure of the right way. We just kept on following the angular sight of Shanti Stupa and soon, reached the house. Javed waited there for us and when I came down for supper after changing, I told him about the case and he, being such a true and good person, gladly accepted (I was so relieved and I vowed that I would send him at least double business in near future).